iPad Mini still draws a crowd

Apparently, the limited public transportation and a blackout over a large chunk of Manhattan didn't deter people from getting to the Cube on Fifth Ave., which still has power. At 7 a.m. ET on Friday, people are already lining up for iPad Mini in front of Apple's flagship store.

Business as usual

The Apple Store on Fifth, like most of upper Manhattan, did not suffer any flooding or power outages due to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the city Monday evening. For Apple, it's business as usual. Here is the store plaza around 8:20 a.m ET.

Upper West Side draws fans early

Chris Sanders decided to show up at Apple's Upper West Side store around 3:30 a.m. ET today, and was among the first in line. The Web developer from Harlem wanted an iPad Mini because "I have big muscles but the iPad is very heavy." He says he made a spur of the moment decision to come. "I was writing code in the middle of the night," he said. "And I thought, 'Oh, I'll see if anyone is standing in line.'"

No one was at the Apple Store on West 14th Street in Manhattan for the launch of the iPad Mini. There were still sand bags here, a reminder of the flooding that struck the city during Hurricane Sandy. And it's a stark contrast to long lines uptown where life seems to have returned to normal.